Syracuse (8-4, 2-2 Atlantic Coast) enters the ACC tournament on a two-game win streak. The No. 4 seed Orange will face No. 1 seed North Carolina (8-5, 3-1) on Friday at 6 p.m. in Kennesaw, Georgia in the conference semifinals. SU took down the Tar Heels a week and a half ago, 13-7, but since then, UNC used an eight-goal fourth quarter to beat then-No. 1 Notre Dame.

With the postseason set to begin, beat writers Connor Grossman, Jon Mettus and Paul Schwedelson answer three questions about Syracuse.

1. What does Syracuse need to do to beat UNC?

Connor Grossman: It’s going to sound a lot simpler than it will actually be, but Syracuse needs to do what it already did to beat North Carolina: suppress one of the top offenses in the country, avoid senseless penalties to keep an inferior man-down defense off the field and win enough faceoffs to give a spread-out offense some scoring chances. All very basic keys to win any game, let alone a second game in two weeks against a top-10 team.

A specific requirement to strap down UNC’s offense is holding back Michael Tagliaferri, the first-line midfielder who lit up the Orange defense for four goals and 10 shots in SU’s 13-7 win against North Carolina on April 16. He’s in a line of midfielders that has penetrated Syracuse’s counterattack this year (see: Deemer Class, Cody Radziewicz), and those two guys pushed their teams to overtime victories against the Orange. North Carolina is riding high off a thrilling, 17-15 win against formerly top-ranked Notre Dame on Saturday, and enters this Friday’s game sharper than a Syracuse team that mauled a sloppy Binghamton unit. But if SU’s defense can keep its composure against Tagliaferri and his five offensive counterparts, the Orange can punch its ticket to a second-straight Atlantic Coast Conference championship game.

Jon Mettus: To beat North Carolina, Syracuse has to do (almost) exactly what it did when the two teams met in the Carrier Dome just a little over a week ago. The Orange came away with a statement win, 13-7, over the Tar Heels by outshooting them, grabbing more ground balls and controlling double the faceoffs. UNC showed it’s one of the top teams in the country by scoring eight goals in the fourth quarter to comeback and beat then-No.1 Notre Dame on Saturday. Evan Molloy needs to put together a performance as close as possible to his two-goal allowed first half against UNC last time. Ben Williams needs to continue his hot streak against an equally hot Stephen Kelly, who won 7-of-10 faceoffs during the comeback fourth against UND.

Paul Schwedelson: Syracuse must make North Carolina one-dimensional. Eight different players scored for the Tar Heels in their thunderous comeback against then-No. 1 Notre Dame this past weekend. UNC scored eight fourth-quarter goals to pull off the 17-15 upset. Once Luke Goldstock, Steve Pontrello and Tagliaferri get rolling, it’s hard to stop them. But when Syracuse shut down the Tar Heels a week and a half ago, Tagliaferri had four goals, Goldstock had just two and only one other goal was scored. That’s a testament to the Orange’s ability to force the ball away from Pontrello and limit Goldstock. SU must replicate that performance in order to get the victory on Friday.

Logan Reidsma | Senior Staff Photographer 

2. What player does Syracuse need to step up in the postseason to make a deep ACC and NCAA tournament run?

C.G.: Perhaps more than anything else, Syracuse’s calling card has been offensive depth. Punctuated by six double-digit goal-scorers, SU’s offense has showed its breadth through 12 regular-season games. But within that group is a former top recruit that’s spent three years trying to validate the number stitched on his back. Jordan Evans has played better of late, with 11 of his 21 goals coming in his last five games, but has hardly been elite in any stretch of play. Nick Mariano has taken the scoring reins, Dylan Donahue has become the table setter and Sergio Salcido and Tim Barber have taken on large scoring roles in the offensive unit. As a result, Evans has gotten lost in the shuffle. He’s shown glimpses of a skill set capable of shouldering Syracuse’s offense, but has yet to completely make good on it. If he emerges as more dangerous threat to complement Mariano, SU will be well off with Donahue pulling the strings on a dynamic offense.

J.M.: Syracuse needs Molloy to step up during the postseason to make a deep run. If SU can keep teams like North Carolina under 10 goals, there’s no reason it can’t win — and that falls on the shoulders of Molloy and the Orange defense. Goalie play can make or break late-season runs. Syracuse can’t afford shaky play or uncertainty in net. His saves prevent goals and his quick passes on the clear can lead to easy transition goals the other way. He’s the last line of defense and will be the difference between short or long tournament stays.

P.S.: This is a good one. It could be Evans, who currently leads the team in turnovers. It could be Nick Mellen, who hasn’t been as dominant of a defender as he was at the start of the season. But no matter what else happens, the game will always come down to possessions and that’s why faceoff specialist Williams is the answer. When he’s winning the ball, the Orange is as dangerous as any team in the country. When it’s not, SU is as vulnerable as can be (see overtime losses to Johns Hopkins and Duke). Williams currently ranks fifth in the nation with a 64.2 winning percentage, but he must continue that form for Syracuse to remain a contender.

Logan Reidsma | Senior Staff Photographer 

3. Is the starting goalie position officially Evan Molloy’s or could Warren Hill get back in net for SU?

C.G.: I would be taken aback if Syracuse unseated Molloy from his starting role at this point. Head coach John Desko has spoken highly of Molloy’s communication abilities and physical versatility that’s allowed SU to more effectively clear the ball and play with more cohesiveness. Warren Hill essentially listed Molloy’s strengths as his own weaknesses that led to him being removed as the starter. Hill said he’s tried picking up on Molloy’s “energy,” which involves communicating to defenders on when and where to slide, in addition to a dodging ability that has made Molloy a defensive asset outside the crease. Molloy’s given Syracuse’s defense, an underwhelming unit against top opponents like Duke and John’s Hopkins, a spark that hasn’t died out. He should remain the starter.

J.M.: Molloy has locked in the starting spot and it’ll take a blowout — either for or against the Orange — to see Warren Hill between the pipes. Molloy put together the best half of his career through the first 20 minutes against UNC, playing nearly perfectly. Even though he let in four goals on five shots in the third quarter, Molloy recovered for a solid fourth and the win. Molloy’s save percentage is eight percent better than Hill’s and he allows an average of 2.6 goals less per game. Syracuse head coach John Desko has praised Molloy, even in his one loss to Cornell, and he looks to be the permanent option going forward.

P.S.: At this point, it’s Molloy’s job. He’s more athletic in net and has done a quality enough job to remain the starter. How much of SU’s defensive success or failure can be attributed solely to the goalie is hard to say, but Molloy is good enough to give Syracuse a chance to win and that’s all you can ask for, especially this time of year. Also, don’t forget that Molloy gives the Orange an added dimension on the clear. He gets the ball out of his stick significantly faster than Hill and has even sparked a couple fast-break goals in recent weeks.

Published on April 26, 2016 at 1:29 am